How to Make My Dog Not Pee in His Bed

In general, dogs prefer not to soil their sleep areas. Sometimes, however, health problems, anxiety and stress can lead them to develop this habit. A dog that is poorly housetrained may also urinate in its bed due to an inability to "hold it" for long periods of time. This can be the case for dogs that are confined to a crate for hours at a time as well. It is an unsanitary and unhealthy habit that is difficult for both you and your dog to deal with. Do yourself a favor and fix the problem.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog treats
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Instructions

  1. Take Preventive Measures

    • 1

      Take your dog to the vet before you do anything else. Dogs that urinate in their beds could have a health problem that is causing the behavior. Be especially aware of this possibility if your dog was reliably housetrained and only recently started having accidents in the house.

    • 2

      Let your dog outside more frequently during the day and at night. If you keep your dog crated when you aren't home, ask a friend or family member to stop by once or twice to give your dog a chance to stretch its legs and do its business. Hire a dog walker if you need to. Set an alarm and let your dog outside once during the night until it stops urinating in its bed.

    • 3

      Observe your dog to see if stress or anxiety is causing it to pee in its bed. There may be noises that are frightening it, or it may be hesitant to go outside because of bad weather. Chronic stress can cause your dog to urinate in its bed as well, so talk with your vet or hire a trainer to see if this is the case.

    Housetraining

    • 4

      Put your dog on a regular feeding schedule to regulate its bladder and bowel movements. Always let your dog outside half an hour to an hour after eating or drinking.

    • 5

      Send your dog outside to do its business before you go to bed. Make this part of your bedtime routine. The later you allow your dog to go out, the less time it has to hold its bladder and the less likely it will be to urinate it its bed.

    • 6

      Praise your dog every time it does its business outside. This shows it that you are pleased when it relieves itself in the yard rather than in the house. Support your praise with a treat when your dog comes back in the house.

    • 7

      Interrupt your dog if you catch it in the act of urinating it its bed. A clap, snap or the word "no!" will get your dog's attention. When it turns to you, calmly take it outside and give it a chance to finish urinating in the yard.

    • 8

      Reward your dog if it does finish its business outside. Use praise and a dog treat to let it know it did the right thing. This helps you teach your dog exactly where you want it to go. If you simply punish your dog for peeing in its bed, you teach it what not to do without giving it an alternative. Let your dog know when it has done a good thing and made you happy.